US and Syrian forces are stepping up joint efforts inside Syria to hit ISIS networks before they can regenerate into a larger threat. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper framed the campaign as a long-haul commitment, stressing that “operations in Syria are critical for preventing ISIS from regenerating and posing a significant threat,” and vowing to hunt down jihadist cells wherever they try to hide.

In a recent operation, US military forces working with Syria’s Ministry of Interior located and destroyed more than 15 ISIS weapons caches in southern Syria. The caches were packed with over 130 mortars and rockets, multiple rifles and machine guns, anti-tank mines, and components for improvised explosive devices – the kind of stockpiles that power insurgent campaigns and make it easier for ISIS remnants to ambush local forces or terrorize civilians.

Those kinetic raids are being matched with a relentless focus on ISIS leadership. US and partner forces have mounted nearly 80 operations in Syria over the past six months, resulting in 119 suspected terrorists detained and 14 killed. Among those taken off the battlefield are senior ISIS figures like Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani, killed in a July raid, and Omar Abdul Qader, a senior ISIS terrorist eliminated in a separate operation in September.

CENTCOM’s message is that these are not one-off hits but part of a sustained partnership with the Syrian government to keep ISIS underground and off balance. From joint work to map out weapons depots to targeted raids on individual commanders, the campaign described in the CENTCOM statement is designed to prevent a familiar pattern in the region: jihadist groups using ungoverned space to quietly rebuild. “We will continue to work closely with our Syrian partners to hunt down ISIS networks and prevent their resurgence,” Cooper said, underscoring how closely tied the security of Syria’s south now is to the tempo of these combined US–Syrian operations.